Nightmares
by ttfan111robstar1
Summary: A new villain traps Robin in his worst nightmare. It will take all of the titans and his old mentor to free him completely.


**Author's Note: The poem enclosed is an original. I hope you enjoy the story!**

"Titans, Go!"

The team followed their leaders classic cry and launched into action. A deep, throaty chuckle met their response.

"You idiotic children! You think you can defeat me? Your city will bow to me- Hyber-Nathan!"

A man in an all black bodysuit with blue goggles shaped like a sleep mask stood before then. The giant H on his chest was white, and the inside of his cape was a deep purple. He threw a canister of knock out gas toward the team, but they easily dodged it.

Cyborg was prepared to blast him with a sonic cannon, but Nathan dived aside at just the right moment. Nathan laughed.

"Perhaps you need some sleep to recharge your batteries!"

He threw a dart at cyborg that shocked him so violently that he crumpled to the ground.

Raven stepped in front of her friend in an attempt to protect him. She picked up a garbage can to try and throw at him, but he deflected it with a blast from an exploding ball.

Beast Boy flew at him as a hawk, but a few smoke bombs tossed into the air and set off by remote brought him down to the ground, coughing and choking as his lungs filled with the acrid air. When the sky was clear, he saw Starfire aiming at him overhead.

Starfire barraged him with starbolts from the now clear sky. But seeing her plan he easily outmaneuvered her and found refuge behind a dumpster.

"Your aim is off- getting tired already, are we?" He taunted, taking a running start toward the other members of the team.

Robin came at him last. Using his staff as a pole, he swung around completely and hit him squarely in the chest.

"So Nathan, how does it feel to get your dreams crushed by some idiotic children?"

Nathan growled. He wasn't going to go down like this. He had a very clear course of action in mind.

"_All that you have ever seen__  
Is but a dream within a dream  
You think you've beat me on this eve  
But I have one last trick up my sleeve  
Secrets are what we all hold dear  
Leaving us tortured by the things we fear.  
You think you're clever, you think you won  
__But the nightmare has only just begun!"_

As he said it, he blew a concentrated sand at the Titans. The blistering winds only made his job that much easier.

Raven started to make a dome to shield her friends, but before it closed Robin was hit. Instantly, he collapsed into sleep. Nathan laughed jubilantly before making his escape behind a screen of smoke.

Starfire rushed to her friends aid.

"Robin? Robin please, awaken." She shook him by the shoulder.

"Uh, Star, I don't think this is going to work." Beast Boy muttered.

"Come on. Let's take him home so we can figure out what to do." Suggested Cyborg. Feeling dejected, Starfire nodded and carried him back to the tower.

Half an hour later, Robin was hooked up to all sorts of wires while the Titans tested him. His heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, and brainwave activity were being monitored. So far, everything was normal. They all were anxious at the sight of their leader looking so helpless. Hopefully the tests would help them piece this mystery together.

An hour ticked by. Then another. It appeared as though time had purposefully slowed just to spite them.

Suddenly, Robin's heart rate spiked, as did his pulse. He rolled onto his side, sweating profusely as he clutched at the blanket laid over him. He shivered as his eyes scrunched up under his mask, and he whimpered. It was very clear to them that he was having a nightmare.

It was also clear to them that they weren't able to snap him out of it.

The alarm sounded. Starfire volunteered to watch over Robin while the rest of the team went to hunt down their newest foe.

When they finally ended up cornering Hyber-Nathan, he was eerily calm.

"Tell me how to reverse what you did to my friend." Cyborg barked, slamming him into the wall.

"There is no way for you to reverse what is happening." He said, unfazed by Cyborg's glare.

"What did you do to him?" Asked Beast Boy. Nathan smiled faintly.

"What do you think?" Cyborg slammed him against the wall again.

"I can have you put in jail for at least sixty years. If you cooperate fully, I'll tell the judge to give you leniency." He hated pulling that card. It was just another reminder of his desperation.

He smirked. "You won't be able to wake him. He's trapped inside of his worst nightmare, and there's no cure available."

Raven magically grabbed the sandbag from his utility belt. "This should be a great start."

They handed Nathan to the police before racing to see their friend.

When they got back it was painfully obvious that Robin's condition was deteriorating. He was tossing and turning like crazy, skin pale as a sheet, and murmuring softly to himself. Cyborg went to work on making the cure, but before he could really get into it, Raven stopped him.

"There is another way." She explained her idea to him, and he quickly got on board. She went into Robin's room and started telling the others.

"We could go into his mind and wake him up from the inside."

"As much as I like that idea, how do you know it will work?"

"I've done it before. You'll all be safe." They all nodded in agreement.

The Titans made a semicircle around their leader as Raven concentrated.

"Azarath metrion zinthos!"

Tumbling toward the darkness, the Titans entered Robin's mind.

At first everything around them was inky black. Slowly, however, a circus tent came into view. They all went in to see a young couple performing trapeze stunts with a young boy waiting to join them. The audience was completely full of spectators cheering them on.

Then, there was the sickening sound of the rope snapping. The young boy screamed the second they hit the ground, and the audience vanished.

There were only sobs coming from the boy. Everything else was dead quiet. Blackness came again, but a single spotlight shone on the boy, accentuating his loneliness. The blackness transformed into a cemetery as rain pounded the city. The boy stood in front of his parents graves. A large hand was placed on his shoulder and he looked up to it's owner. The face of the owner was obscured by the blackness. The Titans got the feeling that Robin knew they were there and was preserving the man's anonymity. Then the cemetery faded to what had to be the Batcave. Robin was training hard with Batman. He looked up at his mentor, craving approval, but it was clear that Batman didn't do emotions that way.

Every time the Titans tried to intervene, they accomplished nothing. They were intangible, passing through the scene like ghosts. Raven theorized that those were memories, and that any memories couldn't be altered or tampered with in this reality. They watched many exploits of Batman and Robin. It was clear to them that although Batman was unemotional, he held Robin in high esteem and cared for him deeply. They watched the fight that had brought Robin to Jump (albeit awkwardly), and watched a few of their own fights. When the blackness enclosed again they hardly blinked, having been used to it by now. When it lifted, however, they saw and heard a very familiar sight.

Slade's lair.

They had all assumed (wether consciously or not) that Slade would be in his nightmare somewhere. Now vindicated, the only question was how big a part of it was he?

Slade began speaking.

"Nanoscopic probes. The chronoton detonator was merely the bait for a much larger trap. You see, with the push of a button, my probes will destroy your friends from the inside out."

"You can't control them. No matter what you threaten, they'll never obey you!" He spat.

"This isn't about your friends, Robin. It's about you. It's always been about you."

"What?"

"Sending trouble your way. Leaving cryptic clues for you to unravel. I was testing you. For some time now, I have been searching for an apprentice. Someone to follow in my footsteps." He said, leaning into Robin's face. "And, Robin, I've chosen you. Congratulations."

"No way would I ever work for-" He stopped mid sentence as Slade's finger grew dangerously close to the trigger button.

"If you join me, if you swear to serve me- if you never speak to your friends again- I will allow them to live. But... if you disobey even the smallest request, I will annihilate them, Robin. And I'll make you watch."

They all shivered at the way he said the last sentence.

"So, do we have a deal?"

Robin was quiet, but eventually put on Slade's suit, no matter how much pain it caused him. Slade whispered into his ear:

"I know it seems bad now. But trust me- you'll learn to like it."

The entirety of his time as Slade's apprentice was played out for all to see. When it finished, they weren't sure what to expect.

The lair cracked and fell away, and for a solid five minutes there was only blackness.

Then, slowly, the tower came into view. Unsure of what to do, they went inside.  
The tower seemed empty. They all went to Robin's room to find him asleep. Beast Boy got his fingers stuck in the closing door. It was proof that this was the nightmare- not another memory.

Out of nowhere, Slade appeared and snatched Robin from his bed. Before anyone could react, he was gone. Then, the tower was gone and they were back in Slade's lair. Robin was tied up, his gloves and belt removed. A ball gag was in his mouth, and he struggled to free himself.

"Well done, dear boy." Came the eerily familiar voice. "All you've managed to do is hurt yourself. But, it's not about you at this second. It's about what I can procure through you."

Then, Batman appeared on the screen.

"Ah. The caped crusader himself. At last we meet. Let me start by saying you've trained your boy well."

"Who are you?" Boomed the deep, authoritative voice.

"I am known by many names. But you may call me Slade."

"What do you want?"

"Oh, it's not what I want- it's what you want. Unless you want to see Robin alive again, you'll do exactly what I say."

Robin looked up at his mentor with pleading eyes. Batman remained unfazed.

"Fine. I'll be there in an hour."

"Good."

When the Titans tried to help untie their leader, they were stopped two feet away. When they tried talking to him, he didn't answer.

"He has to be keeping us out on purpose." Raven sighed.

They sat down to watch what happened next.

Batman arrived as if he were pulled from the shadows.

"Good evening Batman. I trust your ride here was pleasant."

"What have you done with Robin?"

"He's right here." Slade turned the chair to face Batman. Robin looked up at his mentor, but showed no emotion. He knew Batman would understand everything without it.

"What do you want?"

"It's quite simple, really. I want your partner as an apprentice. And I want you to watch."

"Robin will never serve you!" He thundered.

"No? Are you sure."

Batman just narrowed his eyes.

"Suit yourself." With the press of a button, knock out gas filled the room, but Batman was a step ahead, and already had his rebreather on. For a few minutes, Batman and Slade fought, but Slade managed to get the upper hand and cage him before things could escalate any more. He grabbed the belt away from him before he could get it. He waited until Robin awoke to continue. He grabbed the ears of his cowl.

"It's very simple, Robin. Either you work for me, or Batman's identity will be revealed for all to see."

He threw the belt aside and removed the ball gag from his mouth.

"So, do we have a deal?"

Robin looked away, defeated.

"Yes."

Slade quickly put him back into his uniform, and put both hands on his shoulders.

"How does it feel, Robin? To renounce the man who started it all."

Robin gritted his teeth but said nothing.

"From now on, you will answer to me."

The lair faded to darkness, and Robin was left standing between Slade and Batman. Batman looked straight into his eyes and said the words he had feared for all their time together.

"I don't want you anymore."

Robin skittered back a few steps as the words made impact with his soul. It was too much. The darkness started cracking like glass, letting bright white shine through. The room started spinning faster and faster, until he couldn't make sense of it anymore. He let out a shriek, so full of pain and anguish that it shocked all the Titans into silence.

"Dad!" The word was whispered sadly. He fell to his knees, and it was Slade who stood behind him and put his hands on his shoulders once more.

The old words were repeated again.

"Who knows? I may even become like a father to you." Robin looked up at him helplessly. "I won't give up on you." He held out his hand. Not knowing where the line of good and evil stood anymore, he took it and got to his feet. For an instant, there was silence. Then, Slade's cackling laugh echoed through the quiet.

Suddenly, the barrier was gone, and the Titans ran to stop Slade. To their utter dismay, Robin had vanished.

"You can't defeat me! Not anymore!" It was a triumphant cry of defiance. They fought, then, out of nowhere, Robin was there, fighting them all.

"Robin! You have to wake up! You're dreaming!" Raven called.

"No. I'm not." It was a terse whisper, full of bitterness.

"Come on man, I know you're in there somewhere! None of this is real, trust us!" Cyborg yelled, defending himself from Slade's roundhouse kick.

"I can't trust anyone anymore."

"Then why are you keeping Batman's identity a secret? Why not rat him out and take revenge?" Beast Boy cried.

"Because if he's revealed, then so am I. As angry as I am at him, this is the only way I can repay him for all he did for me."

Starfire stood before him, fist glowing green with a starbolt.

"Robin, you must awaken! The Hyber-Nathan has trapped you inside of your worst nightmare. You must believe me, please!" She begged.

He faltered at her words. Even in his worst nightmare, she would never lie to him. His indecision was written clearly on his face. "Please Robin, I am your friend! Why would I lie and hurt you more!"

He was torn in half. Was it true? Was he really dreaming? He wasn't entirely sure.

The Titans gathered around him. "We're your friends Robin, and all we want is to wake you up."

"Are you sure it's not real?"

"We swear."

Suddenly, like sand in an hourglass, the room around them slipped away. There was darkness for a few minutes, then, Robin bolted awake as his friends were put back in the tower. Robin was awake, panting as the nightmare gradually subsided.

"Friend, are you well?" Starfire asked. Robin smiled.

"I'm fine, thanks to you all."

They smiled at him. He pulled the wires off of himself, and stood up.

"I'll be back later."

They nodded, relaxing slightly. Everything was back to normal.

Robin went into his room, and pulled out the old shoebox from underneath his bed. He looked at the old photos of himself with his parents, with Bruce and Alfred, and as Robin next to Batman. Then, he pulled out the black communicator and pushed the button closest to the top.

The screen was blank for a few moments, and then Batman's face appeared on screen, genuinely surprised to see him.

"Robin?"

"Hey Dad." He said, quietly. He removed his domino mask. To his surprise, Batman pulled his own cowl off. Revealing the face of Bruce Wayne.

"Is everything okay?"

"I just..." He hesitated, not sure of how to explain his reason for calling. "I'm not sure if... I mean I want to know... Um..." He sighed, frustrated with himself.

"Just ask me." Said Bruce, clearly exasperated.

"Do you still want me?" The words were out of his mouth before he had time to think them through. Bruce frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"You know... As your son..." The words were said with great hesitation.

The vehemence in Bruce's reply shocked him.

"Of course I do, Dick. It doesn't matter what happens between us. You'll always be my son. You've done so well for yourself and I'm proud of you."

They were the words of affirmation he needed to hear, and he smiled. "Really?"

Bruce smiled slightly in return. "Really. What brought this on?" His detective instincts kicked into gear.

"We were battling this new villain and he trapped me in my worst nightmare." The words came out less confidently than he hoped. Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want to talk about it?" His voice was very soft. Dick recognized it as the voice he had used when he had first had nightmares at the manor. For a few moments, there was silence between them.

"There's a villain out here named Slade." He began, uncertain of how to start. "He's a very determined, thorough, and cunning person. He's become my arch foe. Every time I get close to figuring him out he throws me for a loop. I've become obsessed with taking him down. But no matter how I try, he's always three steps ahead of me. There was a situation when he threatened my friends. He blackmailed me into working for him. He made me steal from you." He was trying desperately to hold himself together, but the more he tried the closer he was to falling apart. Batman tried to talk, but Robin was going too fast to be stopped. "He could kill them with the press of a button unless I did what he said. I got the upper hand and stopped him, but it was enough to scar me for life. He's gotten inside my head. He could destroy me and not even bat an eye." He paused, unable to figure out to continue. "The villain we faced tonight trapped me in my worst nightmare. I saw my memories at first. You know the ones. But then it changed. Slade captured you and threatened to unmask you if I didn't obey. And then you... You s-said you didn't want me." His voice broke on the word "want". He felt embarrassed that he had broken down and cried. Bruce didn't say anything discouraging like his darkest self had anticipated.

Instead, he smiled gently at him. "Dick, I'm so proud of everything you've accomplished. You're my son, and nothing will ever change that. I will always want you."

It was a soothing thought. He smiled. "Really?"

"Really."

They smiled for a beat. "I have to go, but I'll be back in an hour."

"Okay, bye dad."

"Bye son."

It was to Robin's surprise that Batman showed up at the tower an hour later. They were both unemotional and unfeeling until they reached Robin's room. There, he broke down and cried into his father's chest. Bruce held him in his arms, reminiscing of when Dick barely weighed anything and could fit easily into one of his arms. He stroked his son's hair with surprising tenderness. It was in that moment that Robin found peace. No matter what nightmare plagued him, his father would always be there to chase them away. He hugged Bruce tightly.

"I love you, Dad."

Bruce smiled. "I love you too, son."


End file.
